(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio said on Monday that Saudi Arabian Airlines should be excluded from U.S. airports if it doesn’t stop discriminating against Israeli passengers.

“Saudi Arabian Airlines uses U.S. airports and yet bans Israeli citizens from being able to fly on their airline,” De Blasio was quoted as saying by The Algemeiner. De Blasio, a Democrat and currently New York City’s public advocate, said if the airline doesn’t change its policy, “we will act to make sure they’re excluded from United States airports, starting with JFK [John F. Kennedy Airport in New York].”

According to a New York Post report, a member of de Blasio’s staff called Saudi Arabian Airlines pretending to be an Israeli citizen trying to book a ticket to fly from JFK to Mumbai, India via Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Airlines booking agent told him that he wouldn’t be allowed to travel on the airline due to his nationality. “No city in the world has closer ties to Israel than we do, and yet Israeli citizens are being discriminated against right here at JFK,” De Blasio was quoted by the New York Post as saying. “It’s not only illegal; it’s an affront to who we are.”